Cumnock
| Cumnock Cumnag | |||
 | |||
| Country | |||
|
Scotland | |||
| County | |||
|
East Ayrshire | |||
Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water. There are three neighbouring housing projects which lie just outside the town boundaries, Craigens, Logan and Netherthird, with the former ironworks settlement of Lugar also just outside the town, contributing to a population of around 13,000 in the immediate locale. A new housing development, Knockroon, was granted planning permission on 9 December 2009 by East Ayrshire Council.
History
Cumnock housed many miners, and also served as the market town for the other, smaller towns in the district, like Auchinleck, Lugar, Muirkirk, New Cumnock and Ochiltree (the original Cumnock/Comenagh/Comno/ etc.)
The town has a strong socialist heritage due to its role as a mining centre. The father of the Labour Party, James Keir Hardie, lived in the town for a large part of his life, and a statue to him sits outside the town hall. A small housing scheme in the town (Keir Hardie Hill) is named after him. The popular left-wing politician Emrys Hughes was local MP for a time in the mid-20th century, and also lived in the town.
William Wallace allegedly spent 3 months in the seat of Patrick Dunbar ((New)Cumnock or Cumno in 1296), according to the poem, The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, by Blind Harry. Cumnock is also in the heart of Robert Burns country and the poet is said to have spent time there.
Churches
The town has six churches, the Congregational Church, Old Cumnock Old Parish Church, St. Andrew's United Free Church, Trinity Church. West Church and the Roman Catholic Church of St. John, Cumnock, Church of St. John.
Sports
Cumnock have a team in the West of Scotland Junior football league, Cumnock Juniors, who play their home matches at Townhead Park. The team is famous for their bitter rivalry with local neighbours, Auchinleck Talbot. The town also boasts an athletics park and Rugby club, as well as a modern sports centre containing fitness gym and swimming pool.
Education
For many years there were two secondary schools, Cumnock Academy and Saint Conval's High School - which was later annexed with St Joseph's Academy in Kilmarnock and became known as St Joseph's Cumnock Campus. In 2004 however St Joseph's Cumnock Campus was shut down due to falling attendance figures, and the town's Catholic children now attend the original St Joseph's Academy in Kilmarnock. Cumnock Academy's catchment towns include, Cumnock, Drongan, Rankinston, New Cumnock, Ochiltree, Muirkirk, Logan and Lugar.
Notable residents
- Mark Bennett, Scottish international rugby player
